Today is Thursday, September 3rd, 2020.

On this day in 2012, the self-proclaimed Messiah, accused of cult-like behavior, Sun-M young Moon, died at the age of 92.

His death ignited a power struggle over who should take his place at the head of the

unification church or the Moonies as they're sometimes called. Welcome to today in True Crime, a parcast original.

Today we're covering the death of notorious religious leader Sun-Yung Moon. Let's go back to

South Korea on September 3rd 2012 in the early hours before sunrise. Pyongyang Moon lay on a hospital bed in Gop Yang, South Korea with a tube down his throat.

For six decades Moon's followers worshipped him as the Second Coming of Christ and humanity's Savior. But now the 92 year old

struggled to even breathe without the help of a ventilator. Moon had been in the hospital since he came down with a case of pneumonia in mid-August.

Doctors reportedly gave him a 50% chance of survival,

but for the past three weeks his condition just got worse.

At the Unification Church in nearby Soul, his followers, known as Moonies, came together for an emotional service.

While Moon lay in the hospital, hundreds of people filled the church,

singing as tears streamed down their faces and praying for his fast recovery.

But their prayers were not enough.

In the early morning of September 3rd, 2012, Reverend Sun-Mian Moon finally succumbed to the complications of his pneumonia.

He died at 154 a.m. surrounded by his family. The group likely included his

32-year-old son, young Jin, and Moon's wife, Hawk Jahan.

As they all mourned the loss of their father, husband, and Messiah,

there was one burning question that presumably went unasked

as they stood together in the hospital.

Who would follow in his footsteps as the head of the church?

It wasn't an easy spot to fill.

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